Wraparound packaging sleeve



y 3, 1969 s. WYSOCKI WRAPAROUND PACKAGING SLEEVE Filed May 20, 1968 Sheet f3 F/ G. 4 INVENTOR Z4 3] LAWAA/C' S. Wysocm BY (23% a ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,443,681 WRAPAROUND PACKAGING SLEEVE Lawrence S. Wysocki, Chicago, 11]., assignor to Hoerner Waldorf Corporation, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 20, 1968, Ser. No. 730,473 Int. Cl. B65d 85/00, 21/00 US. Cl. 20646 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention comprises a wraparound sleeve for enclosing a bowl-shaped tub of product. The sleeve includes a top panel overlying the bowl cover, side wall panels extending downwardly and inwardly along the sides of the tub, and bottom flaps hinged to the lower ends of the side walls and secured in overlapping relation. U- shaped cut lines terminating at their upper ends at the lower edges of the side wall panels define legs or fenders substantially in the planes of the side wall panels and extending downwardly to support the bottom panels above a supporting surface.

This invention relates to an improvement in Wraparound package and sleeve and deals particularly with a sleeve which is wrapped about a plastic tub or similar object for identifying the product and advertising the uses thereof.

Many products are at present packaged in plastic bowls or tubs. One of the disadvantages of such a container lines in the fact that it usually does not present an attractive display surface. Well known products such as cottage cheese, sour cream and the like require little display area as they are very familiar to the housewife. However, a new type of product being introduced into the field requires more display space than is readily available on the container itself. In such instances, a sleeve of paperboard is printed and is wrapped about the bowl or tub to provide a clear explanation of the contents.

In one instance a food manufacturer attempted to merchandise a series of small packets of dry mix useful in making salad dressings of one type or other. The total weight of the product contained was extremely low. The packets, enclosed within the tub and encircled by a sleeve would not be readily displayed because they would not remain stacked in the display area. When stacked for display, the packages would slip and slide and tip over, causing constant restacking. A feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a wraparound sleeve designed to wrap about a tub or bowl shaped container to provide a stable support for the product even when the product is extremely light in weight. The sleeves are provided with flat upper surfaces, and are provided at their lower ends with legs or fenders designed to rest fiat upon a surface so that the sleeves and product may be stacked one above the other without losing their stability.

A feature of the present invention resides in the pro vision of a sleeve of the type described which may be coated with a nonskid material to minimize the slippage between the sleeves. In the preferred form of construction, the top panels of the sleeves are provided with a series of series of parallel spaced grooves formed by deeply scoring the top panel. As a result the legs or fenders of one sleeve may engage in the grooves or scores of a similar sleeve, materially reducing the tendency for the upper sleeve to slide relative to the lower sleeve.

An added feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a wraparound sleeve of the type described including a pair of legs or fenders projecting 9 Claims 3,443,681 Patented May 13, 1969 downwardly from the side walls of the sleeve to a plane below the level of the bottom portion of the sleeve. Thus the sleeve and product is supported by these elongated legs or fenders, greatly reducing the tendency of one sleeve to slide upon the surface of another.

A- further feature of the present invention resides in notching or curving the under surfaces of the legs so that the legs will rest upon a flat surface. When the sleeve is wrapped about a tub or bowl, and when the sleeve is made of relatively thin paperboard, there is a tendency for the side walls to bow outwardly near their lower ends due to contact with the wall of the bowl or tub. If the legs or fenders are provided with only straight lower ends, the outward bowing of the side walls causes the center portions of the legs to engage the flat surface, the end of the legs being supported slightly out of contact with the surface. As a result, there would normally be a tendency for the package to rock when placed upon a flat surface. By slightly curving or notching the under surfaces of the legs or fenders, this tendency is eliminated.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a sleeve including a top panel, side wall panels hinged to opposite sides of the top panel, connecting portions hinged to the lower edges of the side walls, and bottom panels hinged to the connecting portions and including means for interlocking or securing the bottom panels. Apertures are provided in the side walls along the fold lines connecting the side walls along the fold lines connecting the side walls to the top panel, these apertures being designed to accommodate the chime or upper rim of the tub cover to hold the tub in place within the sleeve. The legs or fenders are formed by providing a generally U-shaped cut line terminating at its upper end at the lower edge of each side wall, thus providing a leg or fender which is substantially coplanar with the side wall. These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims:

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the wraparound sleeve in its position encircling a bowl shaped tub.

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view showing two packages in superposed relation.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing the top panel of one sleeve, and the leg or fender portion of the superposed sleeve.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the manner in which the legs or fender may engage in the grooves of a similar sleeve.

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the sleeve is formed.

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of the slightly modified form of sleeve.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged sectional view showing the manner in which the legs or one sleeve may engage in the grooves of another.

FIGURE 9 is a diagrammatic view of the blank forming the sleeve indicated in FIGURES 7 and 8.

The sleeve which is indicated in general by the letter A is designed to warp about a bowl-shaped tub which is indicated in general by the letter B. As indicated in the drawings, the bowl B preferably includes a relatively large diameter upper end which is normally closed by a cover or cap 10 usually having a downwardly projecting flange of skirt 11 which is designed to fit over the upper edge of the bowl. The lower end of the bowl is indicated in FIGURE 2. by the numeral 12, and is of relatively small diameter.

The sleeve A is formed as best illustrated in FIGURE 6 of the drawings. The sleeve A includes a top panel 13 which is hingedly connected along parallel fold lines 14 to side Wall panels 15. Bottom panels 16 and 17 are hinged to one of the side walls 15 along a pair of aligned fold lines 19 and to the other side wall panel 15 by a pair of aligned fold lines 20. U-shaped cut lines indicated in general by the numeral 21 have their parallel end portions 22 terminate at the fold lines 19 and 20 which define the lower edges of the side walls 15. In preferred form, the base of each U-shaped out line 21 is formed by a pair of slightly angularly related cut lines 23. As a result, the legs 24 which are defined by the cut lines 21 have undersurfaces which are slightly concave or which are notched for a reason which will be described. Each of the bottom panels 16 and 17 is provided with a second pair of fold lines 25 which are parallel to the fold lines 25 which are parallel to the fold lines 19 and 20, and which are spaced therefrom to provide short connecting portions 26 connecting the lower edges of the side walls 15 to the remaining portions of the bottom panels 15 and 16. These connecting portions 26 permit the bottom portions of the sleeve to fit about the under surface of the tub B somewhat more effectively. In the arrangement illustrated, the bottom panel 16 is provided with a locking slot 27, while the bottom panel 17 is provided with a locking tongue 29. The tongue 29 is engageable into the slot 27 when the bottom panels 16 and 17 are overlapped, holding the sleeve A in position.

The side walls 15 are provided with longitudinally extending slot 30 which extends along and interrupts the center portions of the fold lines 14. The slots 30 preferably extend slightly into the top panel 13, permitting the side wall panels to fold downwardly more neatly about the sides of the tub A. The slots 30 are designed to accommodate portions of the peripheral flange 11 of the tub cover 10, thus holding the tub in the sleeve when the sleeve is wrapped about the same.

The upper panel 13 is provided with a series of score lines 31 therein, the score lines 31 extending in parallel spaced relation to the fold lines 14. As is indicated in FIGURE of the drawings, the score lines 31 are relatively wide and deep, and provide grooves in the upper surface of the top panel 13 into which the leg portions 24 of a similar sleeve may engage. As will be seen from FIG- URE 3 of the drawings, the legs support the bottom panels slightly above the level of a supporting surface such as the top panel 13 of the similar sleeve.

In assembling the package it is only necessary to position the top panel 13 of the sleeve in contact with cover of the tub B, to fold the side walls along the sides of the tub, the flange 11 of the cover projecting through the openings 30, and to lock the bottom panels 16 and 17 in overlapping condition. This operation may be most readily performed while the tub B is in inverted position, unless the contents of the tub prevent such an operation.

If the sleeve A is formed of light weight paperboard, and if the sleeve is snugly wrapped about the tub B, there is a tendency for the side walls 15 to bow outwardly to some extent. If the lower edges of the legs 24 Were entirely flat throughout their length, the bowing of the side walls would cause the center portions of the legs to engage a supporting surface, and there would be a tendency for the package to rock slightly when placed upon a flat surface. In order to compensate for the bowing of the side walls, .the lower ends of the legs are made slightly concave to reduce the height of the center portion of each leg. With this arrangement, the legs may either rest flat against the supporting surface, or else the end portions 32 of the legs 24 may extend slightly below the center portions 33 of the legs so as to eliminate any change of rocking, and to permit the end portions of the legs to enter the grooves formed by the scores 31, if such scores are used.

FIGURES 7, 8, and 9 of the drawings show a sleeve which is almost identical to that shown in FIGURES 1 through 6, but in which the sleeve is made of heavier and less flexible paperboard, In view of the fact that the shape 4 of the blank C indicated in FIGURE 9 almost identical to that shown in FIGURE 6, similar identifying numerals have been used. The main point of difference lies in the fact that legs 24a of the blank C are formed with U- shaped cut lines 21a having a straight base portion 36. Because of the increased stiffness of the blank, the tendency of the blank to flex about the bowl is eliminated, and the concave under surface of the legs may be eliminated.

In view of the fact that from an economic standpoint it is preferable to make the sleeve from relatively thin paperboard, and in view of the fact that the legs may be made to fit properly on a flat surface regardless of the degree of bow of the side walls, the sleeve A is normally preferred. To increase the resistance of the carton to sliding, a coating of a material which resists slipping may be provided on the outer surfaces of the sleeve. In some instances, such a coating may provide sufficient resistance to slippage so that the score lines 31 may be eliminated, as is indicated in FIGURE 9 of the drawings.

As examples of suitable slip-resistant coatings, a product called Nalcoag, which is a colloidal silicon produced by Nalco Chemical Company of Chicago, 111., or a silicone known as Syloff made by Dow Corning Company of Midland, Mich., could be used.

I claim:

1. A wraparound sleeve for use in combination with a bowl-shaped tub, the sleeve including:

a top panel,

side panels hinged to two parallel edges of said top panel and extending downwardly therefrom,

a pair of opposed apertures in said side panels extending along the lines of fold connecting said side panels to said top panel and adapted to accommodate portions of the two extending therethrough,

bottom panels hingedly connected to the lower edges of said side panels and adapted to be secured in overlapping relation,

generally U-shaped cut lines terminating at the lower edges of said side walls and extending the major portion of the width thereof, said cut lines defining legs adapted to extend downwardly substantially in the planes of said side panels to a plane below the level of said overlapping bottom panels.

2. The structure of claim 1 and in which the lower edges of said legs are slightly concave.

3. A wraparound sleeve package including a bowlshaped tub having a peripherally extending cover and a rounded body, and a sleeve including:

a top panel overlying said cover,

side panels hinged to two opposed edges of said top panel and extending downwardly and inwardly therefrom, said side panels having apertures therethrough along the upper edges thereof to accommodate peripheral portions of said cover,

bottom panels hingedly connected to the lower edges of said side panels and secured in overlapped relation beneath said tub,

said bottom panels including generally U-shaped cut lines terminating at their upper ends at the lower edges of said side panels and extending the major portion of the width thereof, said out lines defining legs projecting downwardly from said side panels and substantially coplanar therewith,

said legs projecting to a plane below the planes of said overlapped bottom panels.

4. The structure of claim 3 and in which the lower edges of said legs are slightly concave to compensate for the outward bowing of the lower portions of the side panels.

5. The structure of claim 3 and in which said top panel includes a series of parallel grooves therein into which the legs of a similar package may extend.

6. The structure of claim 3 and in which said bottom panels include a score line in spaced parallel relation to hinge lines connecting said bottom panels to said side 3,443,681 5 6 panels, the spaces between said score lines and said side References Cited panels forming connecting portions between said side UNITED STATES PATENTS panels and the remainder of said bottom panels.

7. The structure of claim 3 and in which said sleeve 3166190 1/1965 Comrades contains a coating of material rendering the surface of 5 FOREIGN PATENTS the sleeve less pp y- 1,423,002 11/1965 France.

8. The structure of claim 3 and in Which the legs are shorter at the center thereof than at the sides thereof. JAMES MARBERT= P r imar Examine 9. The structure of claim 3 and including interlocking US. Cl. X.R. means on sand bottom panels. 10 22Q 97 

